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circa 1545
Painting
oil on poplar
86.0 x 67.0cm panel; 117.5 x 98.5 x 8.0cm frame
Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 1996
78.1996
Art Gallery of NSW, Ground Level, European Art 15th-18th Century Galleries, Fairfax Galleries/Room 2
Further information
Though a sense of surface frigidity characterises everything Bronzino produced, emotional heat underwrites his style. As a pupil and adopted son of perhaps the greatest and strangest of mannerist painters, Jacopo Pontormo, Bronzino graduated to artistic maturity with impeccable credentials in that consciously artificial style. That he asserted his own artistic personality, albeit through a steely formality of technique, testifies to the originality of Bronzino's vision. In this magnificent portrait of his principal patron - a work that exists in many replicas and copies - the painter displays a perfectionism it is hard not to think obsessive. Riven with reflections, highlights and shadows, Cosimo's armour alone is an article of transfixing interest: almost reason enough for the painting. It was Bronzino's habit to concentrate on details of costume, jewellery and decoration, to the extent of conceiving the faces of his ducal sitters as polished stones. Apart from this authoritative example, another celebrated version of the work is found in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
AGNSW Handbook, 1999.
Provenance
Olsen Carr Art Dealers (Australia, estab. 1993), Mar 1996, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, Purchased by the AGNSW from Olsen Carr Art Dealers 1996
Private Collection, pre 1996?, with Sotheby's New York, February 1993 and Simon Dickinson Ltd, London June 1995
Cyril Humphris (England), 26 Nov 1971-circa 1990, London/England, [dealer] Purchased at Christie's London 26 November 1971, lot no. 47. On loan to the National Gallery, London 1990
John Granville Morrison (England), 1931-26 Nov 1971, England, by descent, 1st Baron Margadale of Islay, sold Christie's London 26 November 1971, lot no. 47
Hugh Morrison (England, d.1931), 1897-1931, England, by descent
Alfred Morrison (England, b.1821, d.1897), pre 1897, Hindon/Wiltshire/England, label verso records that the painting hung on the 'no.1 Drawing Room Landing' at Fonthill House on 28 December 1887
Thomas Holloway (England, b.1800, d.1883), post 11 May 1872, England, Purchased at Christie's London, 11 May 1872, lot no. 302, 'Plon-Plon and the Prince Napoleon'. Sold to Alfred Morrison.
Napoléon Bonaparte (France), 1860-11 May 1872, France, sold Christie's London, 11 May 1872, lot no. 302, 'Plon-Plon and the Prince Napoleon' bought by Thomas Holloway
Giorgio Orchi (Italy), 1846-1860, Italy, or De' Orchi, bequeathed to Orchi by Count Giovio
Count Paolo Giovio (Italy, d.1846), 1552-1846, Italy, by descent to Count Giovio, the painting was moved in the early 17th century to the Palazzo Giovio, Como
Bishop Paulo Giovio (Italy, d.1552), 1551, Italy, in the collection of Bishop Giovio by 1551
Bibliography
Exhibition catalogue; Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the Renaissance in Florence; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Canada); 2005, 328 (illus.), fig.121.1, illustrated in reference to cat.no.121, Francesco Salviati 'Portrait of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici' c.1545-46, Koelliker Collection, Milan
Periodical; Look; Jill Sykes (Australia); Sep 2004, 15 (colour illus.), 'Foundation building' by Michael Wardell, pg.14-17
General/Book; Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook; Bruce James (Australia), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940); 1999, 22 (colour illus.), 'Western Collection: Paintings and Sculpture' by Bruce James, pg. 17-77.
Periodical; Australian art collector; Susan Borham, Michael Hutak; Apr 1998-Jun 1998, 60, 'Private Pleasure, Public Gain - the influence of private collections' by Heather Johnson, pg. 58-61.
Annual report; Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1997; Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940); 1997, 22 (colour illus.)
Annual report; Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1996; Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940); 1996, cover (colour illus.)
Newspaper; The Australian financial review; Editor Unknown; 08 Feb 1996, 47, '$2.8m for Old Master', pg. 4.
Newspaper; The Sydney Morning Herald; Editor Unknown; 08 Feb 1996, 4 (illus.), 'Wandering Medici finds a home' by Miriam Cosic, pg. 4.
Newspaper; The Australian; Malcolm Schmidtke (Australia, active 1995-1997); 08 Feb 1996, 4 (illus.), 'Duke fetches a record $2.8m', pg. 4.
Newspaper; Daily telegraph; Editor Unknown; 08 Feb 1996, 9 (illus.), 10, '$3m art coup - NSW gallery makes its dearest deal' by Stewart Hawkins, pg. 9-10.
Newspaper; The Australian financial review; Editor Unknown; 11 Jan 1996, 20 (illus.), 'Great art find surfaces in Sydney' by Terry Ingram, pg. 20., This article appears in the 'Saleroom' section of the newspaper.
Periodical; The Burlington Magazine; Editor Unknown; Jun 1987, 387-388 (illus.), ''Blessed by the hand of Bronzino': the portrait of Cosimo I in armour' by Robert B. Simon, pg. 387-388., X-ray images of this work appear on both pages.
Periodical; Apollo; Editor Unknown; Jun 1984, 125 (illus.)
Periodical; The Burlington Magazine; Editor Unknown; Sep 1983, cover (colour illus.), 527-39, 529 (colour illus.), 'Bronzino's portrait of Cosimo I in armour' by R.B. Simon, pg. 527-539, fig.no. 9; no. 19
Scholarly/Book; Bronzino's Portraits of Cosimo I de' Medici; R.B. Simon; 1982, 86, 87 (Vol. I), 97-134 (Vol. II), A19a-A19f (illus.), cat. no. A19
Exhibition catalogue; L'opera storica di Paolo Giovio comasco vescovo di Nocera: il museo dei ruratti; L Rovelli (Italy); 1928, 143, cat no. 143
Exhibition catalogue; Mémoirs de L'Académie des Inscriptions Belles-Lettres; E Müntz; 1900-1901, 273, 331
Exhibition catalogue; The Columbus Gallery; N Ponce de León (France); 1893, 15
General/Book; Como e il Lario commentario; G.B. Giovio (Italy); 1795, 33
General/Book; Idem; Author Unknown; 1575, 390-1, With an engraved illustration probably after a drawing by Tobias Stimmer
General/Book; Elogia vivorum bellica virtute illustrium; G Giovio (Italy); 1551, 338-9
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